JAKARTA (Bernama): Indonesian authorities have pledged to continue a large-scale search and rescue (SAR) operation for 29 people still missing after a passenger ferry sank in the Bali Strait this week.
The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya went down late Wednesday night in waters off Ketapang, Banyuwangi, East Java, leaving six dead and 30 of the 65 passengers and crew rescued so far.
"We will not stop until all victims are found. This is a humanitarian responsibility that must not be abandoned halfway,” said Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi in a statement.
He said search efforts had been reinforced with assets from the Indonesian Navy, including a vessel equipped with sonar capable of detecting underwater objects at depths of up to 400 metres.
A helicopter, navy divers from the special forces unit, and experts from the Hydro-Oceanographic Centre have also been deployed.
National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) deputy for operations and preparedness, R. Eko Suyatno, said more than 10 vessels from the navy, police, and regional agencies, along with local fishing boats, are involved in the joint operation.
The sea search area has been expanded to a 20-nautical-mile radius south of the suspected sinking site, while on land, teams of soldiers, police, and volunteers are combing the Banyuwangi coastline.
"Two helicopters are conducting sweeps from north to south as part of the aerial search,” he said.
Authorities are also preparing for a possible underwater recovery, with 22 divers having undergone medical examinations and additional equipment staged at the port, he added.
The cause of the sinking is still under investigation. - Bernama
